Does anyone else here suffer from anxiety

[confused83]

I hate the question ive posted as it feels like everyone says yes but i then feel like nobody is dealing with what i am. I actually feel like im going crazy sometimes. Its affecting my entire life i feel myself stopping most social events because of this anxious feeling.

 

a background on me, well my mum has bipolar and growing up was tough everyday theyd argue and i feel like my anxiety has stemmed from that because even to this day (im now 36) if i hear a bang downstairs my 1st thought is somehow back to being at my parents and yet i havent lived there for 20 years its ridiculous. I was controlling my symptoms where id only have down days after alcohol or really bad stressful events but now its become a daily thing and i cant seem to smap out of it. This past 2 weeks ive been dizzy but weirdly it lasts a split second, for just a small split second i feel like im going to fall then im ok, but it happens probably 20-30 times a day and obviously because of that i feel anxious about maybe im sick to which makes it worse. I also sweat a lot more than i should to the point where i wont wear certain clothes as ive assured myself itll show. I feel like im getting worse and im starting to feel like am i crazy? Is there only me dealing with this.

 

Ive tried talking to friends etc but everyone just seems to have the same answer 'yeah i get anxious too mate, before interviews and things' and it frustrates me. No, its nothing like anxiety at an interview as ive felt that. Its such a weird indescribable feeling and the horrible part is i cant control it. Ive got nothing to feel anxious about, no debt, decent job. Does anyone else suffer with this?

[CautiouslyOptimistic]

Are you a woman? If so, all of these are symptoms of peri-menopause.

[confused83]

Are you a woman? If so, all of these are symptoms of peri-menopause.

 

No im a male

[preraph]

I think you also may have PTSD. That bit about hearing a noise and being back at your parents' place. That sounds like PTSD.

[confused83]

I think you also may have PTSD. That bit about hearing a noise and being back at your parents' place. That sounds like PTSD.

 

Ive tried visiting a doctor but nobody listens

[CautiouslyOptimistic]

I think you also may have PTSD. That bit about hearing a noise and being back at your parents' place. That sounds like PTSD.

 

Agree, and often the symptoms don't occur until later in life if something in childhood triggered it.

 

Try another doctor. Have you seen a psychiatrist in particular?

[confused83]

Agree, and often the symptoms don't occur until later in life if something in childhood triggered it.

 

Try another doctor. Have you seen a psychiatrist in particular?

 

No but in the uk it seems like an ignored thing. If i visit a doctor they arent interested and anyone else demands money up front

[CautiouslyOptimistic]

No but in the uk it seems like an ignored thing. If i visit a doctor they arent interested and anyone else demands money up front

 

Maybe try finding an online support group for PTSD? Facebook has oodles of groups like this. That might be a good place to start.

[Foxhall]

Mindfulness is one thing would help you and also what helps me is getting out in the fresh air and physical activity such as running or sports like squash,

 

I have been finding the new classes with the teaching quite stressful the last few weeks and have to find ways to switch off,

what works for me is focusing on aspects in life that are going well and I say what the hell if I made a blunder on the job, i'll get over it,

 

try to worry less about what people think, that may be linked with your fear of social events,

 

yes better for you to get it out in open though, no shame if you have to go to counselling, try a mindfulness group first to start with,

 

better to talk and not bottle it up.

[confused83]

Mindfulness is one thing would help you and also what helps me is getting out in the fresh air and physical activity such as running or sports like squash,

 

I have been finding the new classes with the teaching quite stressful the last few weeks and have to find ways to switch off,

what works for me is focusing on aspects in life that are going well and I say what the hell if I made a blunder on the job, i'll get over it,

 

try to worry less about what people think, that may be linked with your fear of social events,

 

yes better for you to get it out in open though, no shame if you have to go to counselling, try a mindfulness group first to start with,

 

better to talk and not bottle it up.

 

Weirdly my dizziness never happens when im jogging as i try to run for an hour a day as it stops all my symptoms. Yet hour or 2 after the run im sat watching TV and then feelings happen again i also lost my brother at 13 he developed a rare cancer and i had to watch him battle it for 2 years before he sadly left us. I feel like its just got to the point where i cant handle it all alone. I had a job which was 50 hours plus a week and it kept me busy, since losing that im in a bit of a mess mentaly. Ive got plenty of money and nothing to worry about but my heads a mess

[confused83]

I will add thought its not like job stress etc or anxious about a single event as ive had that before and it is anxiery but not to this extreme. This type of anxiety im feeling is to a point where you physically cant get out of bed and i feel like if you dont have it, its hard to understand how i mean. As ive had both the usual anxietys and this one which is unbelievable.

[Foxhall]

Yes the running is great for anxiety,

 

you have some trauma there alright going back and it has created a fear of the unexpected or a fear that you will not be able to cope if certain bad things ever happened again,

 

I think you need to reflect more on this and try to discuss all this with a support group,or someone who will provide a listening ear.

 

 

I think you'll be ok though.

[confused83]

Yes the running is great for anxiety,

 

you have some trauma there alright going back and it has created a fear of the unexpected or a fear that you will not be able to cope if certain bad things ever happened again,

 

I think you need to reflect more on this and try to discuss all this with a support group,or someone who will provide a listening ear.

 

 

I think you'll be ok though.

 

 

I know i should of got help long ago. I remember 8 years back having.. a heavy night clubbing and i couldnt leave my room for almost a month. This is how it affects my work i eventually forced myself out my room. Ive just bought a mountain bike to force myself into activities. Weirdly if you met me in any normal social event youd think i was completely normal. I dont think my friends or family have any indication that im feeling like some crazy person 99% of the time. Im the loudest in our group, always have been, to anyone talking about me theyd say im outgoing, a laugh. etc. I do feel its time i took this all out of my head and onto someone else like a group or psychiatrist.

 

Even in the dating scene i come across confident etc but i know deep down im battling everyday. My mates think im just a 'let down' sometimes when i dont attend things but its simply because i cant handle it

[SomeDude007]

Hi Confused,

 

Funny enough, you sound like me!

 

I also grew up with a bipolar mom, and things like yelling, over exaggerated emotional outbursts, etc. can trigger my anxiety as well. For me, it feels like my brain is on fire or stuck in constant thought loops/ruminations.

 

What you are describing sounds exactly like anxiety/panic attacks. Things like exercise, hanging out with friends, etc. releases endorphins and other feel good chemicals that curbs anxiety and depression. It will, however, come back when triggered again. When it gets bad enough, it can certainly feel like you're going crazy (although you're not!) and give a sense of dread and hopelessness.

 

Sorry you're suffering, but at least you've identified what's wrong! I would recommend going to a psychologist and psychiatrist if possible to help cope and learn skills that will manage your anxiety. There are also a lot of good YouTube channels regarding mental health, although I do caution against over-indulging in internet research regarding anxiety... sometimes you can read some innocuous article that your anxiety will pick up on and run rampant with.

 

So, you're not alone! Try to go to some form of therapy and in the meantime make sure you continue the activities that make you happy/less anxious (even if you feel like they don't anymore), and maybe open up to others that can serve as your support group.

[preraph]

Ive tried visiting a doctor but nobody listens

 

When you say "a doctor," if you're talking to a health doctor, it's not their field. You need to see a psychologist or psychiatrist, and they are PAID to listen. They are not paid to agree with you, however, if that is the case.

 

You're going to have to pay for one if the UK health system isn't providing them. You ought to go. Now, PTSD is not necessarily curable, but yours doesn't sound that bad or intolerable. But yes, you probably need to treat your anxiety with meds and therapy and maybe the PTSD, mild as it sounds, may go away. I had it for 10 years and it wasn't "combat" PTSD as most people are aware of, and I finally did shake it. Yours is from trauma, so it's closer to combat PTSD than mine was, but if it's just kind of one or two things like you described, I bet you can live with that if you bring down the overall anxiety you're having with treatment. It will change your life.

Edited October 2, 2019 by preraph

[confused83]

Ill put another post on here in a week or 2 when ive gone for further help, they cant ignore me forever. I have also bought a book something about rewiring an anxious brain although im sceptical. I have trawled the internet and felt myself it was ptsd from watching my brother struggle and eventually the end. And also the anxiety from parents horrendous fights have all just tottalled into this mess.

 

You kind of feel weak asking for help because im constantly fighting it myself but i feel like admitting defeat this past 2 weeks as Its ruining my 1 chance at life.

[alphamale]

i'm bipolar, severe anxiety is part of the job description

[major_merrick]

I think men have a harder time asking for help with anxiety than women do. Women are almost expected to be anxious at times, and nobody really bats an eye when a woman mentions that she's got major issues with it.

 

I don't have anxiety, but I think my husband does/did and his Wife #1 definitely does. A lot of times it comes from an issue in the past. My husband's more resembles PTSD. Some times are worse than others, and he's learned over the years how to de-stress and deal with it. Noises sometimes bother him, and events can trigger flashback-like issues. And plenty of nightmares. Like a typical guy, he just gets tough and goes through it. The biggest thing I notice is that he's up a lot at night walking the floor and checking things out.

 

Wife #1, however, is a different story. She's perpetually high-strung. Her ability to cope with life's stresses is significantly reduced from the average person....to the point where it is a great blessing that she can be a stay-at-home mother. She'd never make it in a workplace of any kind, and being alone for more than an hour or two isn't a good thing either.

 

To me, it sounds like your state is more like my husband's. In other words, you function well but have some inner turmoil that occasionally causes significant discomfort. You can seek professional help, get a prescription, try some OTC calming supplements like 5-HTP, or any combination thereof that works for you. Try letting a close friend in on your secret. You might find someone that can help calm you down and draw you out of your shell. Or you might find someone who's got the same thing you've got and hasn't told anybody. It really is more common than guys will admit.

[divegrl]

Yeah I do...

 

Best thing is a nice warm Epsom salt bath. Seriously please try.

 

Have a beautiful day!!!!

[spiderowl]

You've been through a lot and it is bound to have an impact.

 

I hope your doctor listens this time. I know it is not easy to get help in the UK without paying for it.

 

If you can afford it, it might be best to pay privately. You shouldn't have to, but some private therapists use a range of techniques whereas the NHS seems to back CBT which is not a treatment for trauma.